Creativity Has No Age Limit.

Oct 1

Elise Gallinot Goldman | Edxecutive Director, KID smART

As the Executive Director of KID smART, I don’t often get the chance to participate in our programming. So when we began offering classes for adults, I knew I wanted to make time to experience one for myself.

One Tuesday, I joined Allison Stewart’s smARTIST in Residence class. Allison is not only a co-founder of KID smART, but nearly 25 years ago, I was her studio assistant. Getting to see her in action again and create alongside her was a particularly meaningful full-circle moment..

One of the reasons we began offering programming for adults was to create opportunities for grown-ups to experience the same creative expression, experimentation, and experiential learning that we value so deeply in our work with young people.

That was exactly what I saw happening in the room. Adults became immersed in the process, letting go of self-judgment and giving themselves permission to simply create.

**“We have to give ourselves permission to bring emotional energy into the work.”**

During the class, Allison talked about how arts education can sometimes focus heavily on technical skill. But making art can also be about emotion and giving ourselves permission to bring that emotional energy into what we create.

That idea stayed with me.

Don’t sleep on the classes KID smART offers for adults. They’re more than an opportunity to learn a new skill. They can be a powerful space for expression, relaxation, self-awareness, and simply giving yourself permission to make something.

And for me, getting to experience that alongside someone who helped shape KID smART from the very beginning made the experience even more special.